Hoard and Clutter
The daily life of a Family with Compulsive Hoarding Syndrome

"We will never live a normal life," say the parents of the 14-member extended family. They suffer from the compulsive hoarding syndrome, which is an element of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which people can not let go of their possessions because of fear of loss and angst. According to estimates by the self-help group „Anonyme Messies“ about 1,8 Mio. affected people live in Germany.

Due to the littering of the rooms the parents were temporarily deprived of custody in 2009 and 2010. Four of twelve children temporarily stayed in an orphanage.
The relevant youth department is overcharged with the subject. The urgent appreciation is lacking. The phrase " They should clean up for now!“ does not help. Nevertheless, the family struggled within their means, cleaned up, to get the children back. Today, only one child is living in an orphanage. For the periodically arrend to the psychologist the family has not enough understanding and strength.